Divalent Metal Transporter 1 (DMT1)

The SLC11A2 gene encodes a divalent metal transporter (DMT1), which carries iron, manganese, cobalt, nickel, cadmium, lead, copper, and zinc. DMT1 participates in cellular iron absorption at the luminal surface of the duodenum as well as in other areas of the body. Predicted amino acid sequence analysis of the NRAMP2 polypeptide identified a polytopic membrane protein highly homologous to human NRAMP1, with 66% identical residues (80% overall homology), resulting in identical predicted secondary structure of the 2 proteins. Sequence conservation is particularly high in the predicted transmembrane domains (90%), suggesting that these regions play a key role in the structural and functional aspects common to both proteins. As opposed to its NRAMP1 counterpart, whose expression is restricted to phagocytic cells.